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This conversation with composer Carlos Rafael Rivera might be my favorite conversation yet from either the podcast or our Filmcraft Series.
Carlos is not only hilarious but an incredible teacher and this conversation exemplifies his incredible talent and generosity. It is no wonder he leads the Media Scoring & Production Faculty at the University of Miami in addition to winning numerous Emmy’s and Grammy’s for his own scores.
But what really makes this conversation unique is that composing for Film and TV is like the third or fourth act in Carlos’s career. We spend so much time admiring those who figure it our early on and are the youngest to do a thing. That’s all well and good and to be admired but I take so much more from the story of someone who kept at it as life threw curve balls.
If you aren’t were you want to be in your career, if you want to know more about the act of composing, if you want to understand how composers work with directors and producers this treasure of a conversation is for you.
The conversation is moderated our very own board member and filmmaker Isabel Custer who did an incredible amount of research and pulled a ton of Carlo’s videos and lessons from the internet so we could have real examples of the music in this conversation. Thank you to Carlos not only for the incredible conversation but for allowing us to include samples of his work for our conversation.
I hope you all enjoy it as much as I did!
If you want to be a guest on a future podcast you can reach out to us HERE.
A big thank you to the Coral Gables Art Cinema and the Tristarr Lifelong Learning Fund at the Coral Gables Community Foundation who make our Filmcraft Series possible and to our podcast sponsor Mariquitas Chips
Make a donation today to support local filmmakers HERE
Original music by Hola*Hi (Paul Curtis and Angelina López Catledge)
Logo and Artwork by Royer Design
Miami Film Lab is a non profit that supports local filmmakers as they work to make a living telling Miami stories. Join our community by becoming a free or paid subscriber.
This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit miamifilmlab.substack.com/subscribe -
In honor of the recently announced program for the Miami Film Festival we would like to share our conversation with the festival’s Director of Programming Lauren Cohen.
Film Festivals are playgrounds for cinephiles and filmmakers alike. For the most part it is a week of an entire community sitting together in the dark experiencing a story together and then chatting about it in lines, over drinks and dinners.
Film Festivals have been a big part of my career. I first volunteered tearing tickets (yes I am that old) at the Cosford Cinema for the Miami Film Festival in the early 2000s. My last year at NYU I ran the Fusion Film Festival, celebrating the women filmmakers studying at Tisch. When I moved back to Miami I found a press release with the emails of everyone that worked at the Miami Film Festival and sent all of them ( about a dozen or so) my resume, it worked. I spent two years running their Industry office and seminar series and then another decade bouncing in and out, translating for filmmaker Q&As, siting at the guest services desk and recently even serving as a jury member.
But much like the rest of the film industry, film festivals have completely changed in the 20+ years I’ve been around them. That is why I wanted to chat with Lauren. If you are looking to navigate the film festival circuit for your film or are frustrated by the current state of the circuit like I am ( we talk about my frustrations particularly over the glorification of directors and the overwhelming presence of mainstream films) then I think you will get a lot out of this conversation.
If you want to be a guest on a future podcast you can reach out to us HERE.
A big thank you to the Coral Gables Art Cinema and the Tristarr Lifelong Learning Fund at the Coral Gables Community Foundation who make our Filmcraft Series possible and to our podcast sponsor Mariquitas Chips
Miami Film Lab is a non profit that supports local filmmakers as they work to make a living telling Miami stories. Join our community by becoming a free or paid subscriber.
This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit miamifilmlab.substack.com/subscribe -
Saknas det avsnitt?
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Mitch Kaplan has been a driving force for our cultural community in Miami since the 1980’s. If you don’t know his face you for sure know the institutions he has created. First Books and Books our cherished local bookstore and then the Miami International Book Fair, widely considered the largest and most diverse book fair in the United States.
Then why did we have this book seller on our Filmcraft series? Well unbeknownst to many he is also a prolific film producer with nearly a dozen film credits to his name. In this episode we explore how he got into producing, what role he take son in the filmmaking process and how he has grown his career as the industry continues to change at a rapid pace.
The conversation is moderated by writer Vanessa Garcia, who got her start working at Books and Books and has now written for Sesame Street, published novels, a children’s book, has plays produced in Miami’s best theaters and is working on her first feature film.
If you want to be a guest on a future podcast you can reach out to us HERE.
A big thank you to the Coral Gables Art Cinema and the Tristarr Lifelong Learning Fund at the Coral Gables Community Foundation who make our Filmcraft Series possible and to our podcast sponsor Mariquitas Chips
Make a donation today to support local filmmakers HERE
Original music by Hola*Hi (Paul Curtis and Angelina López Catledge)
Logo and Artwork by Royer Design
Miami Film Lab is a non profit that supports local filmmakers as they work to make a living telling Miami stories. Join our community by becoming a free or paid subscriber.
This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit miamifilmlab.substack.com/subscribe -
It has been awhile since we put anything up on our Podcast feed, because well… life. Luckily we had an incredible Filmcraft Series last year and I am so happy to be sharing those conversations on this feed.
First up is Brenda Moe, the CEO and Programming Director of the Coral Gables Art Cinema. I can’t say enough about her. She is one of my favorite people to talk shop with and she has been one of the greatest champions of Miami Film Lab. If you are in Miami and have attended any of our events, chances are, they took place at Gables Cinema. Brenda has been one of the key driving forces of Gables Cinema since it opened 15 years ago and under her stewardship it has become an incredible community center for cinephiles and filmmakers alike.
If you are a filmmaker embarking on self distribution (attention NonDē Filmstackers!) then this conversation is for you. Brenda is just one of many Art House Cinema programmers willing to take a chance on screening films that come directly from filmmakers. If you are going this route learn what it takes to be taken seriously by programmers and what they need from you in order to give you a theatrical run on their screens.
Lets us know what were the most useful or surprising take aways.
If you want to be a guest on a future podcast you can reach out to us HERE.
A big thank you to the Coral Gables Art Cinema and the Tristarr Lifelong Learning Fund at the Coral Gables Community Foundation who make our Filmcraft Series possible and to our podcast sponsor Mariquitas Chips
Make a donation today to support local filmmakers HERE
Original music by Hola*Hi (Paul Curtis and Angelina López Catledge)
Logo and Artwork by Royer Design
Miami Film Lab is a non profit that supports local filmmakers as they work to make a living telling Miami stories. Join our community by becoming a free or paid subscriber.
This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit miamifilmlab.substack.com/subscribe -
In 2022 Rob and Pedro released their documentary South Beach Shark Club which tells the story of a group of Miami fisherman that spent the 1970s catching sharks.
The film is fantastic and you can rent/buy it now on Amazon.
But our Filmcraft conversation with them was not about the making of the film but the marketing of the film. The two filmmakers embarked on a unique marketing campaign that included a mural in downtown Miami, a car with a with a shark fin and lots of stunts to get you to watch the film. If you just look at the outfits they wore to our conversation you know they know how to grab your attention.
But did their antics lead to viewers and profits for their film? You’ll have to listen to find out.
Our Filmcraft Series is made possible thanks to the support of the Coral Gables Art Cinema and by a grant from the Tristar Lifelong Learning Fund at the Coral Gables Community Foundation
Miami Film Lab is a non profit production company that supports local filmmakers as they work to make a living telling Miami stories.
Make a donation today to support local filmmakers HERE
Original music by Hola*Hi (Paul Curtis and Angelina López Catledge)
Logo and Artwork by Royer Design
Recorded with the help of Cafeteria Films
This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit miamifilmlab.substack.com/subscribe -
Director Victoria Collado and acting legend Ruben Rabasa have been an unlikely duo since they began working together in 2019. Ruben was cast in Vicky’s incredibly successful immersive play Amparo that took Miami by storm in 2019. But she like me, and so many others in Miami, have been watching Ruben’s work since we were little.
If you are hispanic and grew up in Miami you almost certainly grew up watching Ruben Rabasa, he was a staple of Sabado Gigante and was the leading man on Corte Tropical. English audiences saw him die repeatedly in the original Miami Vice TV series. But now in his 80s you probably know him best from…
We are so lucky to have captured this incredible conversation on the career of this icon of the industry and our community see the incredibly relationship both personal and creative that has flourished over the years that Vicky and Ruben have been working together.
Our Filmcraft Series is made possible thanks to the support of the Coral Gables Art Cinema and by a grant from the Tristar Lifelong Learning Fund at the Coral Gables Community Foundation
Miami Film Lab is a non profit production company that supports local filmmakers as they work to make a living telling Miami stories.
Make a donation today to support local filmmakers HERE
Original music by Hola*Hi (Paul Curtis and Angelina López Catledge)
Logo and Artwork by Royer Design
Recorded with the help of Cafeteria Films
This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit miamifilmlab.substack.com/subscribe -
As soon as we got the grant form the Coral Gables Community Foundation to start our Filmcraft Series I knew that I wanted Danny Davila to be one of our speakers. So many industry talks always focus on directors, writers, and actors and I knew there was so much more to learn from all the other disciplines of our industry and that so many careers start in below the line crew positions. And for anyone that has worked with Danny you know there are few that can teach you more and few people have risen up the ranks as fast as he has.
I have rarely met anyone int his industry who works harder, is as talented, is as generous or as kind as Danny. I feel truly lucky to have met him so early in my career and have gotten to work with him as often as I have. It was a great conversation full of great insights on navigating the egos and unpredictable feasts and famines of our work.
I have one more piece of advice I’m not sure we got to in the episode. Befriend the Art Department! You might get your name on screen, and if they really like you they may make you an extra copy to keep…
Our Filmcraft Series is made possible thanks to the support of the Coral Gables Art Cinema and by a grant from the Tristar Lifelong Learning Fund at the Coral Gables Community Foundation
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Miami Film Lab is a non profit production company that supports local filmmakers as they work to make a living telling Miami stories.
Make a donation today to support local filmmakers HERE
Original music by Hola*Hi (Paul Curtis and Angelina López Catledge)
Logo and Artwork by Royer Design
Recorded with the help of Cafeteria Films
This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit miamifilmlab.substack.com/subscribe -
For the next few weeks we will be brining the recordings of our Filmcraft Series to our podcast feed. These conversations with Miami filmmakers is meant to illuminate what real careers look like, delving into both the artistic craft and business reality of the industry.
It was amazing to kick off the series with writer/director/producer Phil Lord. This conversation was led by writer/director and one of our illustrious board members, Isabel Custer, who did her best James Lipton impersonation going through Phil’s filmography.
One of my favorite parts of the conversation was when he discussed what being from Miami means for his work and he quoted a conversation he had with Danny McBride, you can hear it starting around the 1:50 mark.
“[Danny McBride] kind of made it in Hollywood and then thought, like, let's just move our entire operation and all of our families to South Carolina. And I was like, Danny, why did you at the height of his career? I was like, why did you do that?
He goes, Phil, think about what music would be like if it only came from New York and Los Angeles, right? It would suck. And so he's like, the fact that we make our work in a specific place, in the specific part of the country where we grew up, it just kind of like flavors the gumbo, you know?
And it gives it its own like texture and he's like on top of that like we're able to tap into every creative person who lives in the neighborhood and we're training them but they're also training us and giving us a context that makes our work distinct so I would say that like anyone is from any place like when you lean into the place that you're from or the point of view that it gives you it just makes your work more specific and it, maybe you can explain this to me, for some reason, the more specific it is, the more people relate to it, the more universal it feels.
And that is the ethos behind so much of why we do what we do with Miami Film Lab. We want to bring our particular flavor and culture and quirks to cinema by making films HERE with filmmakers that call South Florida home!
By supporting our work, listening to this podcast, coming to our events and searching out Miami films and filmmakers you are helping us do just that!
So thank you and enjoy the conversation.
Our Filmcraft Series is made possible thanks to the support of the Coral Gables Art Cinema and by a grant from the Tristar Lifelong Learning Fund at the Coral Gables Community Foundation
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Miami Film Lab is a non profit production company that supports local filmmakers as they work to make a living telling Miami stories.
Make a donation today to support local filmmakers HERE
Original music by Hola*Hi (Paul Curtis and Angelina López Catledge)
Logo and Artwork by Royer Design
Recorded with the help of Cafeteria Films
This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit miamifilmlab.substack.com/subscribe -
I met Frankie Midnight at the 20204 Miami Film Festival where he made his directorial debut with MUMBLE: FATE OF A LOST ICON which is streaming now on Tubi ( and we talk about the profits he is actually making from streaming it there).
Shortly after he was one of the first Actors to participate in our Actor Showcase, a program designed to help more actors land local film gigs, you can see his incredible performance HERE.
It is a great conversation about his transformation from aspiring artists to a full time actor/filmmaker.
Stay up-to-date with Frankie’s work by following him on instagram @frankiemignight_
Miami Film Lab is a non profit production company that supports local filmmakers as they work to make a living telling Miami stories.
Make a donation today to support local filmmakers HERE
Original music by Hola*Hi (Paul Curtis and Angelina López Catledge)
Logo and Artwork by Royer Design
Sponsored by: Unique Producer Services and Historic Palm Lodge
Produced with the help of Cafeteria Films
This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit miamifilmlab.substack.com/subscribe -
After a longer than expected break we are back with new episodes of our Podcast Crew Call 3:05. If you are new here our podcast is conversations with local cast and crew about what earning a living as a filmmaker in South Florida actually looks like. We hope this podcasts helps you feel better about the job prospects in our community, inspires you to take chances in your career and allows us to commiserate about how hard it can be sometimes, though always worth it.
Today I am so happy to share my conversation with Eric Gaunaurd. We met on a short film he was producing and I was location managing called CHUB, back in the 2010s. In our conversation we discuss his transition to film, how he secured a manager and the difficulties of working production while being parents, a point that is highlighted when my then 3 month old daughter wakes up from her nap and joins us mid recording.
Visit Paradiso Pictures to learn more about Eric and his work.
If you are interested in being a part of the podcast you can let us know HERE.
Miami Film Lab is a non profit production company that supports local filmmakers as they work to make a living telling Miami stories.
Make a donation today to support local filmmakers HERE
Original music by Hola*Hi (Paul Curtis and Angelina López Catledge)
Logo and Artwork by Royer Design
Sponsored by: Unique Producer Services and Historic Palm Lodge
Produced with the help of Cafeteria Films
This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit miamifilmlab.substack.com/subscribe -
Meet writer/director Gabe de Varona. One of the many locals who went off to college and then found himself back in Miami thanks to the pandemic.
Since moving back he has had a string of hit short films and was recently names one of Oolite’s Cinematic Residents where he is working his first feature film.
In this conversation we discuss among other things: how different his career in NY looked like vs Miami, networking as a filmmaker, and the importance of feedback on your films.
We hope after hearing our conversation you will check out his short films:
Hurricane Flora available now as part of our Made in Miami Series on Youtube
&
Love & Hunger which was part of our Fiscal Sponsorship Program.
Miami Film Lab is a non profit production company that supports local filmmakers as they work to make a living telling Miami stories.
Make a donation today to support local filmmakers HERE
Original music by Hola*Hi (Paul Curtis and Angelina López Catledge)
Logo and Artwork by Royer Design
Sponsored by: Unique Producer Services and Historic Palm Lodge
This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit miamifilmlab.substack.com/subscribe -
Meet Bianka Krausch, Talent Agent and CEO of the Talent Direct Agency as well as Co-chair of the South Florida Branch of Women in Film and Television Florida. Our conversation really centered on connecting and building the South Florida film community. Her commitment to growing what we have here and strong belief at the incredible talent our community has cultivated shines through. WE have been so lucky to count on her support and that of the whole Talent Direct team as we grow Miami Film Lab and we are so excited for you all to get to know her and her work better.
Learn more about Talent Direct Agency and Women in Film & Television Florida
Follow her on social media: @talentdirectagency and @krauschbianka
If you want to be a guest on a future podcast you can reach out to us HERE.
Miami Film Lab is a non profit production company that supports local filmmakers as they work to make a living telling Miami stories.
Make a donation today to support local filmmakers HERE
Original music by Hola*Hi (Paul Curtis and Angelina López Catledge)
Logo and Artwork by Royer Design
This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit miamifilmlab.substack.com/subscribe -
Meet Adrian Cardenas, Writer/Director, University of Miami screenwriting professor and former MLB baseball player.
After making it all the way to the MLB Adrian took a career detour to become a filmmaker with undergraduate and graduate degrees in film from NYU ( go violets!). We talk about what drove his big career s**t, the difficulties of getting paid to be a filmmaker, and how taking jobs away form your personal films can be both a blessing and a curse.
If you haven’t seen it yet his short film In An Orderly Fashion, is brilliant. He recently pitched the feature version of this story at Tribeca Film Festival and ATT’s Untold Stories. Really excited to see what he does next.
Miami Film Lab is a non profit production company that supports local filmmakers as they work to make a living telling Miami stories.
Make a donation today to support local filmmakers HERE
Original music by Hola*Hi (Paul Curtis and Angelina López Catledge)
Logo and Artwork by Royer Design
This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit miamifilmlab.substack.com/subscribe -
Meet Dan Abrusci, sound mixer and designer. In our conversation we spent a lot of time discussing what it takes to build a freelance career, learn the skills you need to be an asset to a production and keep clients knocking on your door.
It was refreshing to have Dan talk openly about his rates and the fact that you can make a living working in indie film even from here in Miami. I think we would all be better off if we fostered this kind of transparency industry wide, one of the many inspirations for launching Crew Call 3:05.
Dan has also taken up directing following his passion for documentaries. Here you can see his directorial debut, the short film Gearheads which we discuss in the episode
Follow him on social media: https://www.instagram.com/dan_abrusci and https://www.instagram.com/loyalsound
Miami Film Lab is a non profit production company that supports local filmmakers as they work to make a living telling Miami stories.
Make a donation today to support local filmmakers HERE
Original music by Hola*Hi (Paul Curtis and Angelina López Catledge)
Logo and Artwork by Royer Design
And a big thank you to the sponsors who have made the first season of Crew Call 3:05 possible: Unique Producer Services and Historic Palm Lodge
This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit miamifilmlab.substack.com/subscribe -
Meet Krystal Millie Valdes, Actress/Singer-Songwriter and Hialeah native. I had so much fun with this conversation, Krystal is such a joy to talk to in addition to being incredibly talented!
We discuss what it has taken to gain the self confidence needed to pursue her many creative talents. The pride for Miami she exudes and the joy of working here where she grew up makes her the perfect first guest for our podcast.
Learn more about Krystal on her website: https://www.krystalmillievaldes.com/
Follow her on social media: https://www.instagram.com/krystalmillie/
Listen to her music at: https://open.spotify.com/artist/1Q9LxoC1cd32TfR7Z807ys?si=HCiz553USI-sG6LcmPbtLw
Miami Film Lab is a non profit production company that supports local filmmakers as they work to make a living telling Miami stories.
Make a donation today to support local filmmakers HERE
Original music by Hola*Hi (Paul Curtis and Angelina López Catledge)
Logo and Artwork by Royer Design
This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit miamifilmlab.substack.com/subscribe -
Introducing Miami Film Lab's new podcast, Crew Call 3:05. Here we will interview the cast & crew who are making a life and a living in south Florida as filmmakers.
This is part of our mission to not only elevate the profiles of the incredible talent working in our community but to also provide the mentorship needed to ensure more artists can make their lives and their careers right here!
Miami Film Lab is a non profit production company that supports local filmmakers as they work to make a living telling Miami stories.
Make a donation today to support local filmmakers HERE
Original music by Hola*Hi (Paul Curtis and Angelina López Catledge)
Logo and Artwork by Royer Design
This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit miamifilmlab.substack.com/subscribe
